Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Nucleocapsid Annealing-Mediated Electrophoresis (NAME) Assay Allows the Rapid Identification of HIV-1 Nucleocapsid Inhibitors
Published on: January 19, 2015
'Binding, bending and bonding': polypurine tract-primed initiation of plus-strand DNA synthesis in human
Jason W Rausch1, Stuart F J Le Grice
1Reverse Transcriptase Biochemistry Section, HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Building 535, Room 325, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Abstract:
During the course of reverse transcription, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) initiates plus-strand DNA synthesis from two highly conserved, purine-rich RNA segments of the viral genome referred to as the 3' and central polypurine tracts (3' and cPPTs). Processing of these elements occurs in several sequential steps including (1) minus-strand DNA synthesis over the PPT(s), (2) ribonuclease H (RNase H) mediated cleavage at the PPT 3' terminus, (3) plus-strand DNA synthesis from the nascent RNA primer(s), and (4) primer removal. Completing each of these steps precisely and specifically is essential, as failure to do so can result in reduced virus replication and/or impaired integration of viral DNA into the host cell genome. In this review, plus-strand primer processing in HIV-1 is discussed from biochemical, structural, and historical perspectives. A comparative analysis of PPT-processing in different LTR-containing retroelements is also presented.
More Related Videos
13:07Determining 3'-Termini and Sequences of Nascent Single-Stranded Viral DNA Molecules during HIV-1 Reverse Transcription in Infected Cells
Published on: January 30, 2019
11:19Pairwise Growth Competition Assay for Determining the Replication Fitness of Human Immunodeficiency Viruses
Published on: May 4, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly
Translesion DNA Polymerases
TLS polymerases are found in all three domains of life - archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes. Of the different classes of TLS polymerases, members of the Y family are fitted with specialized structures that...
Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins
Restarting Stalled Replication Forks
The Replisome
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with the...
Proofreading